This Girl Can Campaign

"A celebration of active women designed to make the attainable aspirational" is how London agency FCB Inferno describes its "This Girl Can"campaign for Sport England, for which its just launched first commercial. A 90 second film surely guaranteed to get even the most confirmed couch potato moving, the spot quickly trended number two on Twitter and generated almost 1m Facebook views in under 24 hours.

News from adidas: $20 Off Purchases of $100 or More and Free Shipping

Adidas has some great deals happening now. Read about them below:
$20 Off: Today is the last chance for $20 off purchases of $100 or more with code TAKE20 at adidas.com!

Free Shipping: You can receive FREE SHIPPING sitewide at adidas.com. There's no minimum purchase and the offer is valid until 11/7.

Tracksuits: Tracksuits for men, women and kids are on sale from now - 11/16. Save 20%. There's no code required.

**The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

Teen Fashion Models, It's Not What You think

Jennifer Sky is a Brooklyn-based writer of fiction and nonfiction. Previously she was a successful teen model and actress in television and film.

Her recently published ebook, "Queen of the Tokyo Ballroom," is part of her memoir-in-progress about the true life of a teenage girl working in the fashion industry.

This clip is by Jennifer Sky. Go check out her YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Twitter, if you'd like. And here's an action page if you want to do something more. Her book is at The Atavist, as well as on Amazon. Lastly here's a link about the New York law she refers to around 02:00.

Getting Back on Track

It feels like forever since I last posted on this blog. I have just felt too ashamed to post much. I mean how can I try to encourage others to do something I am not doing. To be honest I haven't been doing very good with my eating and exercise has been almost nonexistent for the last month and a half. Normally I schedule my workouts and plan our meals. Then in mid May I went out of town to see my daughter graduate. I did great with my eating but I don't think I worked-out  any while I was there. We did walk a lot but that was all.

Then when I got back I had lots of stuff (housework, gardening and work) to catch up on and began getting ready for an 11 day motorcycle trip. I wanted to get ahead with work related task, I picked up some extra classes to teach for some extra money and well the excuses go on and on. I even convinced myself that I was too busy to make juice regularly.

Then comes the trip. We ate out for every meal for 11 days. We made good choices and had some fantastic meals. One of the highlights was getting to eat at Laughing Seed in Ashville, NC. It is a vegetarian restaurant with some of the best food I have ever eaten! The bed and breakfasts we stayed at were lovely but as you can guess they served a huge breakfast with lots things I do not usually eat. I didn't want to be rude so I ate it. I didn't clean my plate or take seconds but I ate a lot more than normal! Throw in no juice and very little exercise and it is no wonder I have gained weight and feel sluggish. My face even broke out a bit which hasn't really happened in about a year or so.

We got home and I promised I was going to get back on track but again the excuses are plenty. I am back to eating well and have made juice several times but other than some short walks no exercise. Then Friday I began planning my week. The calendar filled in quickly and I could see where I was heading yet again. I stopped and filled in my work-outs. It is going to mean some early morning walks and work-outs but I am going to get back on track. I don't like to feel moody or sluggish and I don't want to get back to where I was. I will do my best to post regularly on here and Facebook. Hopefully the accountability will help.

Do you struggle with staying on track when life gets busy? Do you find it hard to go back to working out after you skip for a while?

The Invisible Youth

Have you ever wondered how someone got the way they are? Have you ever said "They did it to themselves"? Have you ever looked at a teen that was worn and tired looking and assumed they were on drugs or partied too hard. What about that skinny girl that you are sure is anorexic or bulimic because she wants to be skinnier? You know few things are as cut and dry as we think they are.

Teen suicide, drug abuse and homelessness are not always because the teen wants to be rebellious and they don't always lead to a life of crime. Sometimes it is just the opposite sometimes they are looking for a normal life without the drama and pain.

Let me challenge your belief, let this video challenge you.

Choosing and Caring for Your Workout Clothing

I have been working out fairly regularly for several years now. In that time I have gone through several brands and styles of fitness gear, especially sports bra. By far my favorite are by Adidas. They have kept their form, clean easily and the fit and support is amazing.  I prefer the ones that close or zip in the front.
Why is Adidas so great? Adidas is all about function. And in order for you to have incredible workouts and feel amazing, you need to have the right apparel, so they created a line of the best bras imaginable for all of you.

New Adidas Bras for EveryoneAdidas has released a full line up of super impressive sports bras for ladies to rock during their workouts. (Or if you just want to wear something super comfortable!) And get this, they took custom fit to a whole new level for the sports bra, so sizing doesn't just run small - large...you can choose a cup size for the adidas Women's Energy Bra - A, B, & C cup. Prices start at just $25 on the Techfit bras.

Regardless of the brand you go with how you care for your work-out clothing is important. While most brands are made primarily of lycra/spandex higher end brands such as Lululemon  or Zobha cost more because they are made using higher quality material (for instance lululemon’s signature fabric is luon). So when your are spending multiple $20’s for running capris be sure to read the label and surf the brands website for specific care instructions before you through them in the washer.

 No matter what your fitness fashion budget may be a good rule of thumb for extending your work-out gear is to wash them in cold water. I know it is tempting to throw sweaty gear into hot water but don't!Make sure you use a detergent that works well in cold water and if needed use cleaners made for work-out gear that target perspiration. If you prefer a more natural approach try using vinegar and water.  For best results mix one tablespoon of white vinegar with half-a-cup of water to clean out stubborn perspiration stains. Let the fabric soak for 20-30 minutes and then launder on cool. 

The best way to ensure that odors are easier to remove is to wash your gear as soon as you can. Even if all you do is drop it onto a small bucket  filled with water, detergent, a little vinegar and little baking soda. Let them soak overnight, hang them to dry and then wash them the next day.

Last but certainly not least is the dryer. Heat really has no place in the care of your work-out gear. If you don't have an outdoor clothes line hang them in laundry room, bathroom, anywhere except next to, in or on heat! 

If you need more inspiration for work-out gear check out my Pinterest page: 'Cause you need to look good when you work out too

Vegan Breakfast Tacos

I am not a big breakfast eater but I do realize it is an important meal. During the work week I usually have some fresh green juice, a handful of almonds and cranberries. On occasion I'll grab a bagel and Tofutti. On the week-ends however I like to take it easy, sip on my coffee and enjoy a "real" breakfast. One of my favorite things to make is breakfast tacos. They are healthy, filling and easy to make. I promise you won't miss the eggs or cheese.


Ingredients: 
Potatoes or hash-browns
Green onions
Bell Pepper, any color
Tomato
Salt & pepper
Tortillas
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
Your favorite salsa *optional*

You can add any veggies that you like, the options are endless. When it is just me eating them I load up the mushrooms!

1. Either wash and cut your potatoes or start baking your hash-browns. The potatoes can be cooked in the over or on the stove top to avoid heating up the house.  I use hash-brown patties because they are quick and easy. I do make sure that the only thing they contain are potatoes.

2. Heat your pan with olive oil in it on medium heat. 

3. While your potatoes are cooking and your pan is heating up you can chop up your veggies. I have to say that I am pretty proud of my chopped veggies! There was a time when they look mangled. The Complete Knife Skills from Craftys changed that! If you want to improve your knife skills this class will do it!

4. Saute your veggies in the Olive oil

5. Chop up your hash-browns and add it to the veggie mix. This is when you can add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Cook the mixture for a few minutes to give everything a chance to mix together.

7. Scoop the mixture into a tortilla, and top with your favorite salsa!

Start to finish, including browning the hash-browns these take about 20 minutes to make. If you make a big enough batch you can freeze or refrigerate the leftover, pop it in the microwave and you have a quick and healthy breakfast that a fast food restaurant can't compete with!

What's your go-to healthy breakfast?